Children of the Digital Age

5 hours ago

The Insafe network of helplines collects data about the types of calls received and this is analysed every three months to look at trends, and new and emerging issues. The most recent data covers April to June 2020

For many countries this period was spent in lockdownd due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The helpline network received over 19,000 contacts which were related to online issues. This was a 25% increase on the previous reporting period, and a 70 per cent increase on 2019.

Clearly, the rise in numbers reflects the anxieties people have felt during lockdown, as well as increased use of technology, social media and online services.

The number of calls from males remained fairly constant with 41 per cent coming from this group. 60 per cent of contacts were made by the 12 to 18-year-old group, although it is worth noting that 14 per cent of calls came from the youngest users (aged 5-11).

Once again, this indicates that as children get connected at an earlier and earlier age they are more likely to run into difficulties and need support.

The main reason for contacting helplines is #cyberbullying with over 16% Calls concerning other issues have remained largely unchanged from previous reporting periods, with only some slight fluctuations.

There was a 29% rise in the number of contacts related to sexting and a 15 per cent rise in those about sextortion.

Love, relationships and sexuality saw a 53 per cent increase in the number of actual contacts, and there was a 194 per cent increase in the number of actual contacts relating to data privacy. This potentially relates to concerns around privacy on social media platforms given the increased use of this type of service during lockdown, and helplines reported that they were receiving a lot of contacts asking for help with privacy settings and securing of accounts ... See MoreSee Less

10 hours ago

This article is well worth a read.

"What happens over the next few months will likely shape the Internet for years to come: the election in the US, where battles over misinformation and political advertising are raging: the continuing response to the Covid-19 crisis, which has forced a reckoning with the sudden shift of millions of people’s lives online. A date in the diary that makes fewer headlines, but whose significance should not be underestimated: the UK will be laying out its intended direction in tackling online harms.

Since the Government set out its intentions in the Online Harms White Paper in 2019, debate and discussion on its proper scope and implementation has been abundant. But what’s been lacking is an in-depth involvement of the public in these conversations.

In light of this, we wanted to investigate what the public think about online harms. We carried out a nationally representative poll of over 2000 people, complemented with two focus groups, in summer 2020, to provide a snapshot of where public opinion lies on a wide variety of online harm – where there is consensus, and where there are still divisions or uncertainties.

Today we’re publishing our results here.
Looking at the results, there is a clear call to action: there is very high concern about a wide variety of online harms, and a belief that everyone, from individual internet users to the companies who run online services to banks to regulators and government to international institutions, share the responsibility for preventing online harm.

We found that people wanted something to be done, and had strong opinions about the risks of the online world. So something is going right: with deep concern amongst the public, and a desire for action, the UK is actively working towards introducing legislation which would require platforms to take meaningful action on online harms.
But the public aren’t a monolith: different groups feel differently about what is the right balance of rights and freedoms online."

Read More . .
demos.co.uk/blog/online-harms-a-snapshot-of-public-opinion/ ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago

#ashleygraham does not represent my daughter. She does not offer #empowerment through #selfsexualexploitation.

We completely reject the opinion or option that self worth is achievable through teaching others to sexually exploit themselves.

#YouAreBetterThanThis ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago

#level5 won't mean we can't feel alive.

Hope the image will resonate with the 80's kids out there.

#5isalive

#wecandothis ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago

Why or how is this #empowering?

In an environment whereby those who attempt to educate children against doing something like this, how can we possibly succeed?

#selfsexualexploitation now appears to be par for the course. If you want any form of attention; just get naked. You will then be classed as #brave, #empowered, and someone who makes a difference.

Those who did it for money for newspapers like the sun, were considered people who were being exploited. Now newspapers and online sites just reprint the self sexual exploitation material women post and validate it with a positive bit of feedback.

Why do we continue to propogate paradoxical states of mind? It's wrong for men to wolf whistle, yet women seeking empowerment, by self sexually exploiting themselves and call it empowerment?

What's the target audience when they do this?

We all can't be both, on and off the horse at the same time. Especially, if we are attempting to protect young people from self harm online and off.

Perhaps we should all just get our bits and bobs out, to get this current drive for the hypersexualization of children over with. At least then, we would all collectively realise the consequences for doing it.

This act was far from an act of empowered by #AshleyGraham. It's a very sad, pathetic and desperate cry for attention. If anything this is a complete act of disempowerment of all women and young girls. Reducing an individual to the sum of their physical attributes and genitals as opposed to their actual self worth.

Genuinely, Would you look at this image and say, that's one hell of an intelectual lady? ... See MoreSee Less